I, CULTURE patchwork
The global quilt travelled to Paris for the next volunteer-led installment of the I, CULTURE Presidency project
I, CULTURE docked at the Seine riverbank in Paris’ 13th arrondissement - a diverse neighbourhood peopled by a wide variety of businesspeople, artists and musicians.
A lit-up Batofar club boat was the evening’s axis, illuminating surrounding riverbanks, where true fashion ateliers had been set up. Visitors were invited to look and draw inspiration from clothes and accesories sewn up by volunteers in previous cities of the I, CULTURE tour.
For 48 hours, there was no end to the buzzing of sewing machines. On Friday, students of the French Institut Français de la Mode sewed under Monika Jakubiak’s watchful guidance, and on Saturday, participating audiences had their go. People engaged in the project very seriously, and their works were often very scrupulously thought-out and planned. Participants had first-hand experiences of the wonders of craftsmanship and all the emotions that accompany the process of sewing: difficulties of coming up with an idea, glimpses of genius and discouragement with emerging technical problems. Yet, determination and precision allowed participants to accomplish their goals. Real works of art emerged during the workshops, among them handbags, pen cases and skirts. The afternoon’s favorite was a case-cover for a TV set. Obeying the “slow life” principle, one of the workshop’s participants sewed it up, helping himself cut down on hours he spends in front of the screen. Another interesting participant, a jewelry maker from Brazil said she was very much inspired by the possibility of putting together various reusable elements.
Various works sewn up as part of the Paris installment of the project formed the upper part of the letter E in the I, CULTURE theme puzzle.
Artist Monika Jakubiak is one of the project's key figures. Through, I, CULTURE she explores how tailoring/sewing clothes can act as a means of furthering cultural ties and knowledge. The venture is also a means of discussing inter-European relations. Jakubiak's workshops are open to the public and video highlights of the I, CULTURE project can be found online.
Paris was the second stop of I, CULTURE Contemporary Crafts Project tour after London. The next capital hosting the project after Paris on the 13th of July is Madrid.
Date: 7th-10th of July, 2011
Venue: Institut Français de la Mode (club Batofar)
Organised by: Soulstitch, Institut Français de la Mode, Batofar, Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
I, CULTURE is a Flagship Project of the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency. For more information on the project and trailers to all the films, see: I, CULTURE
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute